# University of the West of Scotland

> UK university (2007-)

**Wikidata**: [Q1296153](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1296153)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_West_of_Scotland)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/university-of-the-west-of-scotland

## Summary
The University of the West of Scotland is a public university headquartered in Paisley, Renfrewshire, within the United Kingdom. Established in 2007, it is a nonprofit academic institution for further education that succeeded the University of Paisley. The university employs approximately 1,300 staff and serves a student body of over 15,000.

## Key Facts
- **Inception:** Founded in 2007.
- **Location:** Headquarters located in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland (Postcode: PA1 2BE); historic county is Dunbartonshire.
- **Legal Status:** Recognized as a university and a nonprofit organization; registered Scottish Charity Number: SC002520.
- **Predecessor:** Replaces the University of Paisley.
- **Staff & Students:** Approximately 1,300 employees; recorded student count of 15,555 in 2016.
- **Financials (2024):** Reported revenue of £168,485,000 and donations amounting to £305,000.
- **Affiliations:** Member of the European University Association, Jisc, and Million+ (The University Think Tank).
- **Coordinates:** 55.94511308449028, -4.081743622360338.

## FAQs
### Q: When was the University of the West of Scotland established?
A: The university was established in 2007. It was formed as the successor to the University of Paisley.

### Q: Where is the University of the West of Scotland located?
A: The university's headquarters are in Paisley, Renfrewshire, United Kingdom. It is situated in the historic county of Dunbartonshire.

### Q: Is the University of the West of Scotland a charitable organization?
A: Yes, it operates as a nonprofit organization and is registered with the Scottish Charity Regulator under the number SC002520.

## Why It Matters
The University of the West of Scotland serves as a significant institution for higher education in the United Kingdom, specifically within the Scottish region. As a member of the European University Association and Million+, it plays an active role in policy development and educational standards on both a national and international scale. The institution demonstrates substantial economic activity and growth, with annual revenues increasing from approximately £122.5 million in 2020 to over £168 million in 2024. Furthermore, its recognition as a charity (SC002520) highlights its commitment to public benefit and community engagement rather than profit generation. By offering further education to thousands of students and employing a large workforce, it acts as a critical educational and economic hub in Renfrewshire.

## Notable For
- **Succession:** Succeeding the University of Paisley to form a modern institution in 2007.
- **Financial Growth:** Increasing annual revenue consistently from £122.5 million (2020) to £168.4 million (2024).
- **Network Affiliation:** Being a member of the "Million+" university think tank and the European University Association.
- **Digital Presence:** Maintaining a verified social media presence with over 24,000 followers on Twitter (as of 2023) and active profiles across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.
- **Research & Identity:** Holding multiple global identifiers including ROR, ISNI, and GRID IDs, reflecting its integration into the global academic research infrastructure.

## Body

### History and Status
The University of the West of Scotland is a nonprofit academic institution for further education located in the United Kingdom. It was established in 2007, replacing the former University of Paisley. The institution operates under the Scottish Charity Number SC002520 and is classified legally as a university.

### Location and Campus
The university's headquarters are situated in Paisley, Renfrewshire (council area), within the historic county of Dunbartonshire. The specific geographic coordinates are 55.94511308449028 latitude and -4.081743622360338 longitude. The main postal address falls under the postcode PA1 2BE.

### Organizational Metrics
The institution employs a workforce of approximately 1,300 people. Records from 2016 indicate a student population of 15,555. Financial data shows a trajectory of revenue growth and fluctuating donations over recent years:
- **2020:** Revenue of £122,564,000; Donations of £57,000.
- **2021:** Revenue of £128,460,000; Donations of £127,000.
- **2022:** Revenue of £155,908,000; Donations of £167,000.
- **2023:** Revenue of £166,386,000; Donations of £71,000.
- **2024:** Revenue of £168,485,000; Donations of £305,000.

### Affiliations and Network
The university is affiliated with several key academic and organizational bodies:
- **Million+:** A university think tank.
- **European University Association:** Representing the university sector in Europe.
- **Jisc:** A non-profit providing digital solutions for UK education.
- **University and College Union:** Branch code SC016.

### Affiliated Personnel
Notable individuals affiliated with the university include:
- **Amir Hussain:** A cognitive scientist.
- **Malcolm Crowe:** An Irish computer scientist (born 1948).

### Digital and Technical Infrastructure
The university maintains a digital presence at `uws.ac.uk`. It utilizes specific IPv4 routing prefixes (89.206.157.0/29, 89.206.191.48/28, and 146.191.0.0/16) and operates a Shibboleth API endpoint for identity management. Its social media presence includes verified accounts on Twitter (@UniWestScotland) and profiles on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.

## References

1. Scottish Charity Regulator
2. GRID Release 2017-01-10
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. [Source](https://www.jisc.ac.uk/membership)
5. [Source](https://eua.eu/about/member-directory.html)
6. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20231020113811/https://orcid.org/members)
7. [Source](https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/13538/UCU-branches-in-JNCHES-2024-25)
8. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
9. BBC Things
10. [Source](https://twitter.com/search?q=University+of+the+West+of+Scotland&src=typd)
11. [Source](http://www.uws.ac.uk/)
12. GRID Release 2015-12-14
13. GRID Release 2016-12-06
14. Quora
15. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
16. [Source](https://apps.db.ripe.net/search/lookup.html?source=ripe&key=89.206.157.0%20-%2089.206.157.7&type=inetnum)
17. [Source](https://apps.db.ripe.net/search/lookup.html?source=ripe&key=89.206.191.48%20-%2089.206.191.63&type=inetnum)
18. [Source](https://apps.db.ripe.net/search/lookup.html?source=ripe&key=146.191.0.0+-+146.191.255.255&type=inetnum)
19. [Source](https://orcid.org/signin)
20. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
21. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)